(Newswire.net — May 16, 2020) — The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down a lot of travel plans, in a collective effort to keep us all healthier. However, when travel restrictions begin to ease, the threat of infectious illness will still be present—and people will be desperate to start traveling again.
If you’re interested in planning a trip the moment restrictions begin to ease, you should know and follow these important travel health tips.
Staying Healthy While Traveling
Traveling exposes you to several new types of vulnerabilities you wouldn’t face in everyday life. For starters, you’ll usually be trapped in an enclosed space with strangers, like on a plane or on a bus. You’ll also be going out in public frequently, and you’ll be exposing yourself to an entirely different culture and environment at the same time.
These tips can help you stay healthy, regardless:
1. Take your supplements. It’s difficult to maintain a healthy diet while you’re traveling, in part because your routine is disrupted and in part because you’ll be eating at a lot of restaurants. You can make up for this by making sure to take a multivitamin, and other supplements meant to help you stay healthy. For example, you can consider taking an additional supplement for immune support, giving your body a better chance of fighting off an infection.
2. Get vaccinated. Depending on when you’re traveling, there may be a vaccine available for a common infectious disease, like the flu. If the vaccine is available, you should try to get it before departing. This is especially true if you belong to a group that’s at higher risk of infection, but even if you’re at low risk, a vaccination can reduce your own potential to spread disease.
3. Understand the risks of your destination. When choosing a destination, pay attention to the specific risks inherent in this destination. Is there an infectious disease making its way through this city? Are rates of pollution particularly high here? There are a variety of threats you can mitigate if you know them in advance, so make sure you read up on your destination before leaving.
4. Wash your hands regularly. This is a good habit to have even if you’re not traveling: wash your hands regularly, with soap. Human hands are one of the most common paths for disease transmission, since we use them to touch just about everything in our environments (as well as ourselves). If you wash your hands thoroughly, with soap, you’ll cleanse them of most foreign bodies—thus reducing your risk of infection and your risk of infecting others.
5. Disinfect whatever you can. While you’re at it, take the time to disinfect surfaces while traveling, if you can. A quick wipe-down of your hotel furniture or the door to a restaurant can keep you better protected—and make you feel more confident at the same time.
6. Choose the right accommodations. Think carefully about the accommodations you select for your trip. Are your airline and hotel of choice interested in minimizing public health risks? What extra efforts are they taking to keep their guests healthy?
7. Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your health, since adequate hydration is essential for nearly all bodily functions. Additionally, even a slight drop in hydration can result in a number of subjective negative experiences; for example, you might be more irritable, or you might experience a headache. Take a drink whenever you see a water fountain, and consider carrying a water bottle around with you so you’re never without water for too long.
8. Get plenty of sleep. Finally, do your best to get plenty of sleep. You might have trouble sleeping due to the unfamiliar environment or due to the stress of traveling, but getting 7 to 9 hours can really help you de-stress, maintain your immune system, and just feel healthier throughout the day.
And here’s a bonus tip: exercise however you can. Most people traveling are either trying to relax or trying to get work done, so exercise falls off the radar. However, exercise will grant you a number of benefits, both immediately and in the long term; you’ll reduce your stress, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and even support your immune system by keeping your body in good condition. Try to walk to new destinations when you can, and try to find accommodations that offer a gym or fitness center.
Understanding Your Risks
There’s no way to guarantee your prevention of infectious disease while you’re traveling, but these strategies should help you stay healthier during your trip. Make sure you do your research in advance, and come equipped to preserve your health the best you can.